Top 3 Teams Who Still Need Zac Gallen As Pitching Market Winds Down

Is it fair to say this is the last potential "ace" out there?

Sep 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) argues with home plate umpire Doug Eddings (88) (not pictured) during a pitching change against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Spring training has arrived, which means teams are quickly finding out they can't possibly have enough starting pitching depth. That's where Arizona Diamondbacks free agent Zac Gallen comes into the picture.

Gallen, who remains unsigned as of Wednesday morning, is the only starting pitcher left on the open market who could be an "ace" in his best-case scenario. That should make him appealing to the teams on this list, who all clearly need another impact starter to contend this year.

There has been extensive reporting about which teams are "in" on Gallen at the moment, but in a way, this piece is independent of that concept. We're simply looking at which teams, among those who expect to compete for the playoffs this season, could truly use Gallen as a difference-maker.

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1. Atlanta Braves

Jun 11, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

As soon as the Braves announced on Monday that they were adding Spencer Schwellenbach to the 60-day injured list, everyone's first thought should have been that the Braves were the perfect landing spot for Gallen.

In addition to Schwellenbach's confirmed absence, each of the Braves' top three starters (Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López) have missed significant time due to injury in the last two seasons. No one on the Braves made more than 28 starts last year, and Gallen's volume would be just as important as his high-end potential.

2. Baltimore Orioles

Sep 28, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Before Schwellenbach got hurt, there was no question at all that the Orioles still had the biggest need for Gallen. Baltimore's rotation has improved in theory, but it's also the fourth-best in the division by a pretty wide margin.

As it stands, the Orioles are counting heavily on Kyle Bradish to be excellent in his full-season return from injury and on Trevor Rogers to repeat an out-of-nowhere breakout campaign. Some veteran insurance with a proven All-Star track record would be massive.

3. Chicago Cubs

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) hits a three-run home run during the first inning of their National League Division Series game off Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga Monday, October 6, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yes, the Cubs probably have the most complete rotation of any team on this list. But it's still heavily skewed toward left-handed options, and it feels as though it's chock-full of guys whose ceiling and floor are both somewhere in the middle of a league-wide spectrum.

If the Cubs shot for the moon with Gallen, they would announce their presence with authority, not only as the clear favorites to take down the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, but as a serious power player in the NL as a whole.

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